I'll Be Seeing You
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: “Alex!” Bobby screamed, shoving past Zach and hoisting himself through the hole in the wall, crouching down beside Alex’s broken and bloody form.
1. Attack

Mwhaha, I have done it! I've finally crossed the line into torturning someone other than Bobby! (sigh) I'm so proud of me... This first chapter is pretty short, but I wanted people to get a feel for it, and to find out if they like it. So please review, and I'll update!

Disclaimer: THEY AIN'T MINE!! (screams and runs around in circles)

This chapter is for confused and blue, the queen of torturing our poor Bobby. But I'm learning fast... (ducks rotten tomatoe)

Major Case Precinct

Wednesday, January 23rd

12:51 pm

Bobby, Deakins, and Carver watched the scene unfold in front of them warily, standing in front of the one way mirror. Alex was standing in front of the perp with her hands on the table, her stare hard and intent. He just folded his hands on top of the table and smiled at her, a sickly sweet smile that made the men's stomachs churn.

"You know, Alex," the man purred, "you have to be the most stunning woman I've ever seen. Your partner must be a fool not to propose."

"Is that what you say to all the women you rape, or am I just lucky?" Alex purred back, resting her chin on her hand.

"Now, Detective, you know better than that. I never raped any of those women," he said, leaning in closer to Alex. "It was all consensual." Alex grabbed Bobby's notebook and pulled out the pictures, laying them down one by one in front of him.

"Really? These women consented to being bound, blindfolded, raped, and bludgeoned to death? Because I find that to be very unlikely," Alex said slowly, as though she were addressing a small child. Zach shook his head and stared at her, his dark green eyes cold and calculating.

"I'd choose my words wisely if I were you. They could get you in some big trouble," Zach growled, and Alex's lips turned up in a sneer as she sat on the table and leaned in close, until her face was a few inches away from Zach's.

"Was that a threat, Zach?" she growled, and he smiled and leaned in closer to her, then said, "No, Alex. It was a promise." She didn't notice how his right hand slipped off of the table and down into his lap, his fingers grazing the curve of the can in his pocket.

Bobby saw Zach reach into his pocket, and his breath hitched in his chest. "He's got something," he muttered, and Deakins and Carver looked at each other with apprehension.

The next few seconds passed with excruciating slowness, and the men watched in horror as the scene played out in front of them. Zach reached into his pocket and produced a small can, spraying it in Alex's face before she realized what was happening. Bobby ran out of the room and into the interrogation room as fast as his legs would move. As she screamed, he grabbed her by the waist, and Bobby watched in horror as Zach threw Alex through the inch thick glass of the one way mirror.

"Alex!" Bobby screamed, shoving past Zach and hoisting himself through the hole in the wall, crouching down beside Alex's broken and bloody form.

Mike and Carolyn heard the commotion, and he darted into the interrogation room and slammed Zach against the wall, while she went to Bobby and Alex. She saw Bobby reach out to his partner, and she grabbed his hand, saying, "Don't touch her, Bobby. She might have injuries to her spine, and you could make it worse." Carefully pressing two fingers to Alex's wrist, she turned her head and shouted, "We need a bus in here, now!" Then she turned her head again and looked at Bobby, whose eyes were wide with fear. A sudden moan made them both jump, and he looked down at his partner.

"Bobby," she moaned, a thin line of blood appearing from the corner of her mouth. He looked helplessly at Carolyn, then carefully stroked Alex's forehead with his fingertips, murmuring, "It's okay, Alex. I'm right here. I'm right here." She shuddered, then her body went limp altogether, making him panic. Carolyn saw the big detective start to panic, and she touched his arm and said, "It's okay, Bobby. She's still breathing. Just calm down."

Mike appeared in the room and crouched beside his partner, looking at Alex with concern. "Holy hell," he muttered, and Carolyn shot him a warning glare.

Finally the paramedics arrived, and Bobby found himself being forced away from his partner's side as the medics worked to stabilize her.

"Don't give up, Alex," he whispered, watching the scene in front of him. "I need you. Please don't give up."

"Okay, she's stable," one medic shouted. "Who's riding with her?" Bobby immediately stepped forward and followed her stretcher, while the remaining detectives looked on helplessly.

Once they were gone, Mike turned to Carolyn and said, "God, I hope she's okay." Carolyn nodded resolutely, but he could tell that she was fighting to keep her emotions together. In a rare public display of affection, he put his arms around her and held her close, and she buried her face in his chest and cried softly.

TBC...

A/N: Okay, whaddya think? Good? Okay? If I get 5 reviews tonight, I'll update with a longer chapter. So review, and lemme know what ya'll are thinking!


	2. Cop No More

Hee hee, who knew I had such a knack for torturing Eames? Woo hoo for me!

Disclaimer: They ain't mine... Ugghh...

This chapter is for Oliviafan, so she doesn't keel over and miss the whole story.

Bellevue Hospital

Wednesday, January 23rd

1:31 pm

When Deakins, Mike, Carolyn and Carver rushed into the emergency room, they immediately spotted Bobby pacing the floor of the sterile room anxiously.

"What's going on?" Deakins asked hurriedly, and Bobby shrugged his broad shoulders.

"They won't say anything except there was a lot of damage done to her eyes," Bobby mumbled, running one shaky hand through his graying curls.

"All we can do now is wait," Carver stated, and each person found a stiff plastic chair and sat down. But Bobby continued to tread the floor, with his colleagues watching him warily.

4:00 pm

Three hours passed before a doctor finally appeared in the waiting room, his green scrubs splattered with blood, making Bobby's stomach lurch.

"Alex Eames?" the doctor called, and all of the men stood up, except for Mike, who was pinned to his chair by Carolyn's sleeping form.

"How is she?" Bobby and Deakins asked simultaneously, and the intimidated doctor took a half step backwards before regaining his professional demeanor.

"Well, the good news is that most of the cuts were superficial and did not require stitches. Her wrist was broken in several different places, so we had to put a cast on it and put it in a sling. Now for the bad news." Bobby bit his lip and scrubbed at the stubble on his chin, inhaling deeply. "The person who attacked her used a combination of mace and other chemical agents that we weren't able to wash away fast enough."

"What does all of this mean?" Bobby asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Will Alex be okay or not?"

"It means that hopefully, with time and constant care, her eyesight will return. But from a medical standpoint, there is a good chance that she will never be able to see again."

Bobby inhaled sharply and took a staggered step backwards, mumbling to himself. Deakins ran a hand through his silver hair as the doctor continued. "Hopefully that will not be the case. But if it is, when she's released from our care, she will need to live with someone. Does she have a boyfriend or husband that she can stay with?"

"No," Deakins sighed. "She was married, but her husband was killed in the line of duty about eight years ago. Her parents live out west, but she's not very close with them anymore."

"Well, she's not going anywhere for at least a week, so hopefully you can find someone by then. Now, would you like to go see her?" Bobby looked at Deakins, who turned to the doctor and said, "Yes, we would."

Then they looked back at Mike and his sleeping partner, who waved them off, saying, "Go ahead. I'll bring her in when she wakes up."

Bobby and Deakins nodded and followed the doctor out of the waiting, down the hall, and finally they came to a stop in front of her room. "Bobby, you go ahead and go in," Deakins said, squeezing his detective's shoulder. Bobby nodded and disappeared into the room, while Deakins turned to the doctor and spoke softly.

"Most likely, he's going to be the one taking her home and watching out for her." Stephen nodded.

Bobby slipped quietly into the cool hospital room, his stomach unclenching slightly as he came closer and closer to his partner's unmoving form. Even in the dim light, he could see the angry red cuts that decorated every inch of her skin that he could see, and the bandages that covered her eyes were all too visible against her pale face.

"God, Eames," he murmured, standing over her bed. He reached one trembling hand out and covered her small hand that rested on her stomach, gently stroking the back of it with his big thumb. He looked around the room and spotted a chair, then he pulled it as close to the bed as he could, slowly sinking down into it.

Deakins shook Stephen's hand, then walked into Alex's room, his footfall silent as he slipped inside. Bobby was sitting in a chair that was pulled up as close to Alex's bed as possible, with his head bowed and his shoulders slumped in defeat. He took another step, and Bobby jumped in the chair, whirling his head around to identify the source of the intrusion.

"It's okay, Bobby," Deakins said softly, appearing in his line of vision. "It's just me." Bobby breathed a ragged sigh and returned his focus to Alex, and Deakins saw the way he was carefully covering her right hand with his own big hand.

"How am I going to tell her?" The question was so quiet, Deakins wasn't sure he had heard him clearly. "Tell her what, Bobby?" Bobby raised his head to look at Deakins, and the older man flinched inwardly at the redness of his eyes and the tear streaks on his cheeks. "That she might never see again. That her career at Major Case, and as a cop, may be over," he whispered hoarsely, and Deakins sighed.

"It's not going to be easy, Bobby. But that may be just be the case. And if it is, she's going to need us to be strong for her, and help her as much as we can. We can't give up on her."

"I'm never going to give up on her," Bobby said ferociously, and Deakins smiled slightly at the big detective's protectiveness of his injured partner. Patting Bobby's shoulder, Deakins said, "I know you won't, Bobby. You care about her too much."

Then he walked out of the room, and Bobby exhaled deeply, gently running his thumb along Alex's brow. "I'll never give up on you, Eames," he murmured, settling back into the hard chair. "Never."

TBC..

A/N: Okay, for the ones who aren't crying and throwing rotten veggies at their computer, I promise it gets better. We just need a little torture on the way... Blue understands me, dontcha blue?


	3. With A Broken Wing And A Song

Hee hee, my stories are growing!

Disclaimer: They ain't mine. What else is new?

This chapter is for Oliviafan, Illcoveru42, gerfan, kateBA, spacemonkey1129, Laurapetry, cheersbabe16, Hope06, lallyb1743, and of course, I have an idea. Thanks for the reviews, my bunnies!

Bellevue Hospital, room 216

Thursday, January 24th

8:42 pm

The next night, Mike and Carolyn walked into Alex's hospital room, where they were treated to a touching sight. Bobby was sitting in the chair, his legs crossed and a book in his hands. He was running two fingers along the page as he read, and as the two came closer, they could hear him reading softly to his unconscious partner.

"Hey," he said softly, startling Carolyn and Mike. He didn't turn his head as he murmured, "She's still not awake."

Carolyn quickly stepped across the floor to stand beside Bobby's chair, and she placed her hand on his shoulder, saying, "How are you doing, Bobby?" He shrugged his shoulders and closed the book, then looked at Mike and Carolyn.

"I'll be fine just as soon as she wakes up," he answered, and Mike nodded knowingly.

"Bobby, do you want me to get anything from your apartment?" he asked, and Bobby looked up at him with his head tilted to the side. "Something tells me that you aren't going to be leaving her side anytime soon, so I figured I'd stop by your place and pick you up a few changes of clothes, and anything else you might need."

Carolyn was surprised by her partner's non confrontational attitude toward their somewhat odd colleague, and her heart was warmed by it.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Bobby asked softly, and Mike shook his head. "You're right, I'm not going to leave her. She's not going to be able to see, and I'm not going to let her wake up alone and terrified," Bobby said determinedly. "Okay, I'll stop by your apartment in the morning on my way up here and bring you some clothes. You okay for tonight?" Bobby nodded, and Mike placed his hand on Carolyn's hip and guided her to the door.

"Night, Bobby," Carolyn said, and Bobby nodded at her as she and Mike walked out of the room.

Bellevue Hospital, room 216

Sunday, January 27th

10:32 pm

A small moan startled Bobby out of his light nap, and he quickly sat upright and took Alex's uninjured hand into his, caressing the back of it with his thumb, desperate to let her know he was there. "Eames, can you hear me?" he questioned, gently cupping her cheek in his big hand.

She let out another small moan and shivered, and Bobby watched as she turned her head slightly in the direction of his deep voice. _"Bobby?"_ His name rolled off of her tongue as little more than an exhaled breath, but he heard it nonetheless.

"I'm right here, Alex," he murmured, moving his hand from her cheek to take her right hand into his. "Just… just take it easy. I'm not going anywhere." He felt her good hand squeeze his, and he smiled and gently laced his fingers through hers, then brought their joined hands up to rest against his stubble covered cheek.

She stiffened for a moment, then he felt her thumb move across his cheek slowly, and he was suddenly selfishly glad that she couldn't see the tears in his eyes. For a minute, they just sat there, drawing on the comfort that the other's presence provided.

"Where… where am I?" she asked quietly, and he swallowed thickly before answering her. "You're in the hospital, Alex. You've been unconscious for about three days," he stated, and she nodded slowly.

The door opening startled them out of the reverie they were in, and Bobby turned to look at the intruder. Stephens quickly walked across the floor to stand on the side of Alex's bed, opposite Bobby. Alex suddenly froze, and her grip on Bobby's hand tightened as she realized that they weren't alone. "Who's there, Bobby?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

He squeezed her hand reassuringly, then moved his other hand to caress her cheek. "It's okay, Alex," he said softly. "It's just your doctor, Dr. Stephens." Her grip on his hand slowly relaxed, but she didn't let go, and he was fine with that.

"Miss Eames?" Alex slowly turned her head in the direction of Stephen's voice. "It's good to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. What's over my eyes? Why can't I see?" she asked suddenly, reaching her hand up to touch the bandage. Bobby could detect a note of panic in her voice, and he gently grabbed her hand and held it in his. "Bobby, what's wrong with my eyes? What happened?" she whispered, and Bobby looked helplessly at Stephens.

"Alex, do you remember what happened before you woke up?" Stephens asked, and she gave a small nod. "You had mace sprayed directly into your eyes. The bandages are there because any light right now could cause you to lose your eyesight permanently"  
"Permanently?" she repeated, and Bobby felt her hand tighten around his. "I'm… I'm blind?"

"Most likely this is only temporary, but yes, you are blind. However, believe me when I say this: we are doing everything we can so that you will regain the full use of both of your eyes. So don't give up," he said, giving Bobby another glance. She nodded robotically, and Stephens checked her vitals, then walked back out of the room.

As soon as she heard the door close, Alex emitted a weak sob that tore painfully at Bobby's heart. "Oh God," she cried, turning away from Bobby and curling up into a small ball, her tiny frame shaking with withheld sobs.

He scooted closer to the bed and rested his elbows on the edge of the mattress. "Eames… Alex. It's going to be okay. We're going to get through this," he promised, splaying one big hand out over her waist. She just continued to tremble, and he closed his eyes and he began to rub circles over her soft skin. "I promise."

2:00 am

Alex awoke with a start, her heart pounding wildly in her chest and her breaths coming in short gasps. Beside her, something moved, and she froze, then hesitantly reached out one trembling hand. Her hand come into contact with something soft, and she sighed as she ran her hand through her partner's curly hair. She hated to wake him up, but she needed to hear his voice, to hear him say that she would be fine, that they would be fine.

"Bobby?" she whispered, and she felt him stiffen beneath her hand.

"Eames?… Alex, what's wrong?" he demanded, grabbing her hand and holding it firmly in hers.

"I just… I had a nightmare," she confessed, and she could feel the muscles in his hand relax. He brought his hand up to tenderly tuck a strand of stray hair behind her ear, and the gentleness and caring in the simple gesture made a lump rise in her throat. He was standing there with his arms wide open, ready to catch her. All she had to do was take the first step into his loving arms.

"Bobby," she started, her voice small and uncertain.

"What is it, Alex?"

"Could you… Could you hold me?" Her voice came out as little more than a whisper, but he heard it nonetheless, and he was more than willing to comply. Rising to his feet, he carefully enveloped her in his arms, holding her gently against his broad chest. She wound her good arm around his neck and rested her chin on his shoulder, sniffing quietly. He held her for the rest of the night, murmuring soft words against her skin.

CICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICI

Bellevue Hospital, room 216

Thursday, January 31st

9:00 am

"I want to go home," Alex stated quietly one morning, and Bobby lifted his head and looked sadly at her. "I know you do, Alex," he assured her, gently grasping her hand. She jerked her hand away and turned her head away from the sound of his voice, and he sighed and scrubbed his face with one calloused hand.

"Alex-"

"Don't 'Alex' me!" she snapped suddenly. "I may not be able to see, Bobby, but I can hear it in your voice. You're only doing all of this because you feel bad for me. Well, I don't need your sympathy, Goren! I don't need it at all!"

Her words stung his heart, but he knew that this was coming. Stephen had warned him about the possibility of her lashing out at whoever was closest to her, and it was him. He also knew that she didn't mean what she was saying. It was all the frustration of being blinded escaping, and Stephens said that this was when she needed him the most.

So he stood up and carefully sat on the edge of her bed, laying one big hand on her waist. "Look, Alex, I know this must be hard on you, but I'm here for you, no matter what you might think. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

Suddenly she whirled her head around and pushed him away, shouting, "Just leave me alone, Bobby! Go away!" He looked at her for a long moment, then slowly stood up and walked out of the room.

Alex heard him leave, and she curled up into a tiny ball on her side and let out a miserable sob. Burying her face in her pillow, she mumbled over and over again, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Outside of the room, Bobby leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. His knees buckled, and he slid to the floor and buried his face in his hands. "God, I'm so sorry, Alex. I'm sorry," he whispered, letting a lone tear fall from his eyelashes onto the floor.

Once her sobs subsided and her breathing returned to a normal pace, Alex slowly lifted her head out of the pillow and listened for signs of her partner. The room was silent, save for the sounds of her own breathing, and she called out for Bobby. "Bobby? Where are you?" She received no answer.

Pushing herself to a sitting position, Alex carefully rose to her feet, her right hand extended out in front of her. She heard something rustle behind her, and she let out a strangled gasp and lost her balance, tripping over the chair and falling to the floor with a dull thud.

Bobby was still sitting outside of Alex's room when he heard the strange noise, and he launched himself to his feet and darted into her room. "God, Alex," he muttered, falling to his knees beside her where she was laying on the ground crying and trembling. "Come here, Alex," he murmured, gently tugging her into his arms and cradling her against his chest.

Alex heard the door open, then footsteps and her partner's soft, tender voice as he lifted her into his arms and held her close. "What were you trying to do?" he questioned softly as he rocked her back and forth. She shivered a little, then answered, "I'm sorry, Bobby. I didn't mean those things I said earlier. I didn't mean them."

He froze, then held her tighter against his chest as he rose to his feet and carefully laid her on the bed. She almost called out for him again, but then she felt the bed dip as he sat down beside her on it, and she relaxed and laid her head on the pillow.

"I know you didn't mean it," he stated quietly, running his hand over her side and pulling the blanket over her shivering form. His hand found hers, and she squeezed it and laced her fingers through his. "I talked to Dr. Stephens earlier, and I have some good news. He says that you can go home tomorrow morning, as long as you keep the bandages on your eyes at all times and keep the appointments with your ophthalmologist. Does that make you feel better?" he murmured, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

She rolled onto her side, keeping her hand in his as she said, "It does, but there's a catch, isn't there?"

He sighed. "Yes, there is. You can't live by yourself, obviously, so you need to be released into someone's care temporarily. I… I want you to come stay with me, Alex"

She let out a choked laugh, and a confused look appeared on his face. "And I suppose I don't have a choice, do I?" she asked sarcastically, and he shook his head.

"Not unless you want to stay here or with Deakins until you get your sight back." The look of distaste that appeared on her face made him laugh. "I don't seem like such a bad proposition now, do I?"

What he didn't mention was that Deakins, Mike, and Carolyn had already cleared out the spare bedroom in his apartment and fitted it with a queen sized bed, then went to her apartment and filled several suitcases with clothes, blankets and other trinkets to make her feel more at home. He had not seen it yet, but he knew they had tried as hard as they could to make her comfortable in her new home. It was up to him to do the rest.

"So, that's the plan, huh?" she asked suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, pretty much," he answered, and she nodded slightly, then curled herself around him with his hand still in hers. As he watched her chest rise and fall slowly, he reached one hand out and gently touched her hair, saying, "I'll just be glad to get you home, Alex. So glad."

TBC...

A/N: Okay, I know that that was fluffy, even for me, but this story is sooooo far from over... (evil laughter) Ahem. So, review my bunnies!


	4. Sweet Dreams

Yay! I finally got the inspiration and time to post this chapter! Enjoy, and please review!

Disclaimer: They're mine, ALL MINE!! MWAHAHHA!! (RoadRunner and Essy whisper in ear) What? They're not mine? Wolf's threatening to sue?? NOOO!!

This chapter is dedicated to my two buddies Essy and RoadRunner, for all of their IMing and advice on all of my stories. Thanks, Runner and Essy!

"Careful," Bobby warned as he guided Alex into his apartment, closing the door behind them. Keeping his hand on her waist, he slowly led her to the couch and helped her sit down, making sure she was comfortable before going into the kitchen to find something for them to eat. As he reached for the handle of the refrigerator, a piece of paper taped to the handle caught his eye, and he pulled it off and read it.

_We restocked your fridge with fresh food and juice. Remember to call when you get there.  
_-Carolyn, Mike and Deakins

He smiled and opened the door, examining the new contents. "Alex, what do you want to eat?" he called, and she turned her head in the direction of his voice. "I'm not really hungry," she answered, leaning back against the arm of the couch. He sighed and grabbed a bottle of water and ingredients to make spaghetti, laying them on the counter.

"Here," he murmured, handing her the bottle of water. "Drink this." She accepted the bottle, twisting the lid off and holding it to her lips to take a long drink. When she finished, he took the bottle from her and placed it on the coffee table, then gently cupped her cheek with his big hand. She tensed, then leaned into his touch, letting out a soft sigh. He moved a little closer to her, never breaking the contact.

"Bobby, I'm scared," she whispered, and he bit his lip and ran his thumb along her skin.

"I know you are, Alex."

She smiled slightly and reached her hand out to him, and he took it into his left, lacing his fingers through hers. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never let her go, but he settled for holding her hand. "Are you tired, Alex?" he asked softly, and she hesitated before nodding slowly.

"Uhm, how do you want to do this, Bobby?" she asked shyly, and it dawned on him.

"Okay, stay right here. I'll go get your pajamas, then we'll…" His voice trailed off uncertainly, and she let out a small laugh.

"Just get my pajamas and show me to the bathroom, and I can handle the rest," she assured him, rising hesitantly to her feet. He quickly stood up and gently grabbed her by the elbow, leading her into the bathroom beside her bedroom.

Once she was in the bathroom, he rushed into her bedroom and began searching through her dresser drawers in search of what he thought she might use for sleepwear. Finally he spotted a pair of sweatpants and her NYPD t-shirt, and he grabbed them and a pair of panties. Knocking on the bathroom door, Bobby said, "Eames, is this okay?" The door opened, and she took them from his hands and shut the door again.

"They're fine," she called through the door. A few minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom in her pajamas, and Bobby said, "Ready for bed?"

"Why does that sound like me when I'm trying to put my nephew to bed?" she commented dryly as he took her elbow again and led her into the bedroom.

"Ha ha, you're too funny," he muttered, and she smiled and said, "I try." Guiding her to the side of the bed, he released her elbow and untucked one of the corners of the blanket, then pulled it back and said, "Your bed, my queen."

She laughed and used her good hand to guide her as she climbed under the covers and pulled them up to her neck. Once he knew that she was situated, he smiled and said, "Good night, Eames."

"Good night, Bobby," she said softly, and he hesitated for a second before leaning down and quickly kissing her forehead, then walking out of the room. At the door, he turned around and watched her for a few moments. Then he smiled and walked out of the room and into his own bedroom.

1:30 a.m.

Bobby was drifting in and out of sleep when he heard the crash, and he was on his feet in an instant. Grabbing the gun from a drawer in his nightstand, he loaded it and crept out into the hallway, darting quickly into Alex's room. Shutting the door behind himself, he stumbled to her bed and tucked his gun into the back of his sweat pants. Then he quickly lifted her sleeping form into his arms, blanket and all.

"Bobby! What the hell?" she mumbled sleepily, and he whispered, "Be quiet, Eames! Someone's in the apartment!" She stiffened in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him as he carried her into the bathroom. "Don't make a sound," he warned as he lowered her into the bathtub.

"Bobby, don't go!" she pleaded, but he was already out of the bathroom, and she let out a small sob.

Bobby cautiously walked down the hall, his gun in hand. Another crash resounded in the living room, and he flipped the light switch and flooded the room with light. The intruders froze, and for one intense moment, they stared at each other.

As Bobby stared at the intruder in front of him, a second man crept up behind him and brought a crowbar down over his head with crippling force. Bobby let out a grunt and fell to the floor, and the man hit him over the back for good measure, then they both disappeared out of the apartment.

Bobby waited until the room stop spinning before rising unsteadily to his feet. His only thought was getting to his partner as he stumbled down the hall and through the bedroom, pausing in front of the bathroom. "Alex?" he called uncertainly, slowly pushing the door open.

Alex heard her partner call her name, and she listened as he pushed the door open and slowly trudged into the bathroom, carefully perching himself on the edge of the tub.

"Bobby? Are you okay?" she demanded, fumbling for his hand. "Are you hurt? Answer me, Goren."

He shuddered slightly, then answered, "I'm fine, Alex. Let's get you back into bed." She reluctantly allowed him to help her to her feet and out of the tub, then back to her bed, where she sat on the foot of the bed.

Sensing that he was about to leave, she reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him down beside her.

"Bobby, someone broke into your apartment. There is no way we're sleeping in different rooms tonight," she stated, and inwardly, relief flooded him.

"Okay, but we're sleeping in my room. And there's not a second bed," he said, gripping her hand and carefully pulling her to her feet before she could change her mind. Forcing himself to ignore the mess in his living room, Bobby guided Alex into his bedroom, helped her to sit on the bed, then set about making a pallet on the floor beside the bed for himself.

A sudden banging in the living room made them both jump, and Bobby swore and grabbed the gun from the back of his sweat pants. "Don't move, Eames," he hissed, darting back out of the room. He crept stealthily down the hall, but when he saw Deakins and Mike, he let out a sigh.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, tucking his gun away and approaching them. Deakins and Mike immediately went to Bobby, their concerned gazes sweeping over him.

"We got a call from one of your neighbors," Deakins said as a way of explanation, frowning when he noticed the dried blood on Bobby's neck. Bobby saw Deakin's stare, and he waved him off and said, "It's fine. Don't say anything to Alex."

"Where is she, anyways?" Deakins asked, and Bobby motioned to the bedroom.

"She's in my bedroom. Someone broke in, and she didn't want to be left alone. And I didn't particularly want to leave her alone," he explained, and Deakins nodded.

"Bobby, you really should get that checked out," Carolyn stated, motioning to his head. "You could have a concussion."

He shook his head, and flinched as pain speared through his entire body from the action. Holding his head, he said, "I'm going back in there. Let me know if you find anything." They nodded and walked out a few minutes later, and Bobby went into his bedroom, where Alex was sitting on the edge of the bed. He sighed softly and squeezed her shoulder to let her know he was there, and she turned her head upwards.

"Let's lay down," he said softly, and she nodded and moved to the head of the bed. After crawling under the covers and making herself comfortable, she said, "Bobby, come on and lay down."

He paused in his work, then said, "I'm fine, Eames. I'm sleeping on a pallet down here."

Sighing impatiently, Alex said, "No, you are not. We're both adults, and I'm not kicking you out of your own bed. So get your ass up here so we can get a decent night's sleep, okay?"

He bit back the urge to say "Yes, ma'am," but he could understand her reasoning. He knew he would feel better if he could feel her sleeping beside him, and she would feel a little safer with him beside her. It was a win win situation. So he rose to his feet, locked the bedroom door, and climbed into the bed beside his partner.

Alex felt the bed dip downward as Bobby climbed into the bed beside her, and she smiled as he stretched out on the bed. Once he stopped moving, she turned over onto her side to face him, and she asked, "Comfortable?"

"As I'm going to be after tonight. Good night, Eames."

She sighed and realized that if she was going to get any sleep, she needed to have physical contact with him. So she waited until she heard him start to snore, then she reached one small hand out and laid it on his arm. "Good night, Bobby," she murmured softly. "Sweet dreams."

TBC...

A/N: Okay, I hope this chapter was up to everyone's expectations! Drop a review, please, and I'll update again soon... (scurries back under sink)


End file.
